Levi k



(No Model.)

LQK. FULLER DUST GUARD.

Patented Sept. 6, 1887.

. INVENTORI WITNESSES:

in the claims.

UNITE STATES Pnrnr tries.

LEVI K. FULLER, OF BRATTLEBOROUGH, VERMONT.

DUST-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,596, datedSeptember 6, 1887. Application filed May 21, 1887. Serial No. 230,017.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, LEVI K. FULLER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident ofBrattleborough, in the county of Windham and State ofVermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDust-Guards for Car-Axles and the Like, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to dustguards of the class employed for excludingdust from the journals or bearings of car-axles and from other likebearings, and which have parti-circular segments that embrace thebearing, such segments being held up to the bearing elastically bysprings.

WVhile the primary object of my invention is to provide a dustguard forthe journals of car-axles, it may also be employed as well onjournal-bearings for any kind of machinery where there is liability ofinjury from dust or grit finding access to the bearing.

My invention will be fully described hereinafter, and its novel featurescarefully defined In the accompanying drawings, illustrating myinvention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical axial section of ajournal-box or axle-box of a railway-car provided with my improveddustguard. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on line 2 2 inFig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4.

are views of the members of my improved.

guard detached. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate modifications.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents the axle of a car; B, a part of aear-wheel thereon; O, the axle-box or journal-box, and D thejournal-bearing. a is the journal of the axle, and b the dust-guardbearing on the axle. In the inner end of the axle-box is formed achamber, 0, to receive the dust-guard, said chamber being open at thetop. All of these parts are constructed in the usual manner.

1 is a plate of wood, which is made of the proper width and length tofit into the dustguard chamber 0, and provided with a circular aperturethrough which the dust-bearing b of the axle passes, and in which saidbearing rotates loosely or freely.

2 and 3 are the two parti-circular or semicircular members of myimproved dust-guard. These members are made from comparatively thinmetal or other suitable material, and are hinged together on a pin orscrew, 4, whereby they are also pivoted to the plate 1. At their freeends the members 2 and 3 are made to overlap, asseen at5 in Figs. 2, 3,and 4.,whereby the members may open and close to a limited extentwithout opening a crevice or way for the admission of dust. Each of themembers is provided with a lug, 6, and between these lugs is arranged aspring, 7, which acts to spread apart the lugs back of the hinge, andthus keep the inner edges ofthe members of the guard pressed elasticallyagainst the bearing 1).

In order to protect the guard against injury and to make it fit thebetter in the dustguard chamber as ordinarily provided in axle-boxes. Icover the members 2 and 3 with a recessed plate, 1, usually of wood.This latter may be screwed to the plate 1, and the pivot-pin at may bepassed through both plates and riveted at its ends. This cover-platealso has an aperture to receive the axle-bearing.

It willsuffice to make the guard oftwo hinged members only, as abovedescribed; but I may make it of more than two. In Fig. 5 I have shown itconstructed of four members -that is to say, each of the members 2 and3is jointed or hinged at its middle, and springs similar to spring 7 areprovided backof these hingepoints. The construction is well illustratedin the figure and will require no more minute description.

As the inner edges of the hinged members wear away, they are keptpressed up close to the bearing b by the spring. As the whole dust-guardbears by its weight on the axle and the hinge-point of the members isabove the axle, this portion of the members adjacent to the hinges willwear away uniformly with the remainder, and thus preserve the circularform of the aperture and the close fit of the members on the hearing.

I do not wish to limit myself to the integral rectangular wooden plate 1as a base or support on which to mount the members 2 and 3. This supportmight be made of other materials and in other forms. Good results mayalso be produced by arranging the hinging-point of the members at oneside, for example, instead of above the axle.

The characteristic feature of my invention is the hinging or pivoting ofthe parti-circular members to a supportingplate at substantially onecommon point; also in housing the said members between two plates ofwood, as described.

I have shown the members of the dust-guard hinged directly together; butthey might be hinged together indirectly by hinging each memberseparately to the plate 1, as seen in Fig. 6, for example.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A dust-guard consistingof a rectangular base or support having an aperture in it for thepassage of the bearing, two or more particircular members pivoted orhinged to said base at the same or substantially the same point, andaspring or springs mounted on and carried by said members to keep thempressed up to the bearing elastically.

2. A dust-guard consisting of the base or support 1, the two curved orparti-circular members 2 and 3, hinged together and to said base at onecommon point and provided with lugs 6, and a spring, 7, arranged betweensaid lugs, substantially as set forth.

3. Adust-guard consisting of abase'or support, 1, two curved orparticircular members,

2 and 3, hinged together and to said base at a common point, saidmembers being each provided with a lug, 6, and with overlapping freeends, and a spring arranged between said lugs 6, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination, with a base, 1, and a cover-plate, 1', attached tosaid base, of the curved or parti-circular members 2 and 3, arrangedbetween the said base and cover-plate and hinged to said base, and theirspring or spring, all-arranged substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscrlbing witnesses.

LEVI K. FULLER- Witnesses:

J. E HALL, L. .W. HAWLEY.

